NHL MORNING SKATE – FEB. 27, 2021 THREE HARD LAPS * Saturday is set to mark the busiest day of the 2020-21 NHL season so far with a total of 14 games on the schedule, including three beginning at 1 p.m. ET. * Rookie scoring leader Kirill Kaprizov helped the Wild snap the Kings’ win streak in the first half of their back-to-back set at Xcel Energy Center. * Avalanche goaltender Hunter Miska withstood a late rally by his former club to earn the first win of his NHL career. 28 TEAMS IN ACTION ON FIRST 14-GAME DAY OF THE SEASON A total of 28 teams are in action across today’s 14-game slate highlighted by a rematch of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, a potential head-to-head meeting between Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews as well as several players and teams looking to extend streaks. Saturday marks the first day this season to feature 14 games – only the Bruins, Canucks and Rangers are idle. LIGHTNING, STARS SET FOR FIRST MEETING SINCE 2020 STANLEY CUP FINAL The Lightning (13-4-1, 27 points) and Stars (6-5-4, 16 points) are set to go head-to-head for the first time since meeting in the 2020 Stanley Cup Final (7 p.m. ET on SUN, FS-SW), when Tampa Bay triumphed in six games to capture its second championship in franchise history (also 2004). * There have been eight instances of teams competing in the same division during the ensuing season after meeting in the Stanley Cup Final. Tampa Bay and Dallas in 2020-21 marks the first such occurrence in 40 years. SURGING OILERS TO HOST LEAGUE-LEADING MAPLE LEAFS AT ROGERS PLACE The Oilers (14-8-0, 28 points), who carry a five-game win streak into Saturday, are set to host the League-leading Maple Leafs (15-4-2, 32 points) at Rogers Place (7 p.m. ET on CBC, TVAS, SN, CITY, NHLN). Edmonton trails only Toronto for the most points in the NHL standings. * Connor McDavid (14-26—40 in 22 GP) and Auston Matthews (18-13—31 in 20 GP), who is listed as day-to-day but has not been ruled out for Saturday’s game, lead the League in points and goals this season, respectively. They have gone head-to-head a total of 10 times entering play, with Matthews holding the goal-scoring edge but McDavid owning twice as many points as his counterpart. OTHER PLAYERS, TEAMS PUT STREAKS ON THE LINE Several other players and teams are set to put their streaks on the line in addition to the Oilers: * Mark Scheifele enters Saturday with a career-high 11-game point streak (8-10—18), which includes a goal in each of Winnipeg’s last six contests (6-5—11). He can match the Jets/Thrashers franchise record for longest goal streak when they host the Canadiens (10 p.m. ET on CBC, TVAS, SN), who he had 1-1—2 against on Thursday. * Pavel Zacha carries a career-high eight-game point streak into Saturday (3-7—10) and can extend the run to nine when the Devils host the Capitals at Prudential Center (1 p.m. ET on NHLN, NBCSWA, MSG+). The longest in franchise history by a player age 23 or younger is 15 games, a mark set by fellow countryman Patrik Elias from Dec. 27, 1999 to Jan. 28, 2000 (15- 9—24). * The Islanders are 6-0-1 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in 2020-21, including a win over the Bruins on Thursday in which they scored a season-high seven goals, and look to extend the run when they host the Penguins (7 p.m. ET on ATTSN-PT, MSG+). New York has earned at least one point in each of its first eight home games in a season just three times in franchise history. * Drake Batherson owns a career-high four-game goal streak (4-2—6) and can become the second Senators skater age 22 or younger to extend the run to five, in which he would join Jason Spezza from Nov. 19-29, 2005 (6-6—12). Ottawa plays host to Calgary after earning a 6- 1 win over the Flames on Thursday (1 p.m. ET on RDS, SNW, TSN5). * Kirill Kaprizov opened the scoring on Friday to extend his point streak to four games (2-5—7) and help Minnesota improve to 5-0-0 in its last five contests, while simultaneously snapping Los Angeles’ winning streak at six. Kaprizov and the Wild will look to extend their streaks when they complete the second half of their back-to-back set with the Kings tonight (8 p.m. ET on FS-WI, FS-W, FS-N). MISKA STYMIES UNRELENTING COYOTES TO EARN FIRST NHL WIN The Avalanche built a 3-0 lead and withstood a late two-goal rally to defeat the Coyotes and give Hunter Miska the first win of his NHL career. Miska, an undrafted goaltender, appeared in one game with Arizona before being signed by Colorado on Feb. 10, 2020. * The Coyotes nearly became the first team in NHL history to overcome a three-goal deficit to win in three consecutive games. Arizona had accomplished the feat in each of its last two outings entering Friday. RANGERS ROUT BRUINS TO CONTINUE RECENT STRING OF SUCCESS New York scored six times, including two goals 12 seconds apart during the second period, to defeat Boston and improve to 3-1-0 in its last four games. The Rangers’ tallies were four seconds shy of the fastest two goals by one team this season, a mark set by the Hurricanes on Feb. 4 (0:08). QUICK CLICKS * Kirill Kaprizov scores wraparound goal from hands and knees behind net * Kevin Lowe, Angela James named to Order of Hockey in Canada * Luke Hughes, Matthew Coronato may be in All-American Game for 2021 Draft prospects * Matt Dumba Hockey Without Limits Camp aims to effect change in Minnesota * 'NHL Network Showcase': 3 Storylines for Capitals vs. Devils .